[Blindtlk] why is it important to join an organizationofthe blind?

Thu Jan 19 05:03:11 UTC 2012

Well, Mike, once again, you and I agree completely.  Look, I'm all for the blind drivable car; however, I question the direction we seem to be taking with it.  I'm not saying don't rely on the technology; but, we need to seriously ask ourselves this.  What will we do when (not if mind you but when) the technology fails?  I'm not going to name names here; but, once I asked this question and got all but accused of being a trator.  No, please don't ask me to tell who it was; for if so, I shan't.  

I feel that we need to take a different approach with this.  I'd like to see a solution that doesn't rely so much on the technology.  As I view the picture, it's not the technology which will allow a lbind person to drive.  It's a matter of getting information.  So, these are the points from which I would start.

1.  How much information is so much information that a quick decition cannot be made while driving?

2.  How little information is too little to make a quick decition while driving?

3.  How can the right ammount of information be aquired and how can it be done as simply as possible?  I fear that too much reliance on the technology alone will truly set back the goal of a blind person driving.  In short, do not rely only on the technology.  Find better alternative ways of getting the information you need.

Sincerely,
The Constantly Barefooted Ray!!!

Now a very proud and happy Mac user!!!

Skype name:
barefootedray

Facebook:
facebook.com/ray.foretjr.1

On Jan 18, 2012, at 9:59 PM, Mike Freeman wrote:

> Debbie:
> 
> I'm not Bryan, but ...
> 
> I am concerned that any time anyone expresses skepticism re the
> blind-drivable car, he/she is automatically accused of not having faith, of
> not being visionary, of not daring to dream, etc. Well, just as there are
> plenty of humanists and atheists who are good peple and who have contributed
> much to this country (the protests of the religious to the contrary
> notwithstanding), there are many skeptics (including me) who are loyal
> Federationists but who at the very least think that in our enthusiasm for
> the blind-drivable car, we are foolishly minimizing the difficulties (most
> but not all of which are social/legal rather than technical). We shouldn't
> be accused of lack of orthodoxy or disloyalty simply because we choose to
> see the cup as half-empty rather than half-full.
> 
> Although I remain skeptical that the blind-drivable car will come to
> fruition in my lifetime (I'm ... lessee ... 63), I think the research may
> have many other benefits and ... I could be wrong. But I think we, the NFB,
> aren't putting *nearly* the resources and thought into other aspects of the
> problem such as legal and social impediments to blind-drivable cars that we
> should be doing. To me, that's not nay-saying; that's common sense. And we
> haven't even considered the problem of what we are to do when we reach our
> destinations, still ignorant im many cases of the environment we will face.
> 
> Part of my difficulty is that, even in the realm of science fiction, I
> expect the universe to be logically worked-out so that there are no logical
> inconsistencies and such that everything implies or can be extrapolated from
> everything else. I think we should plan foreign policy, domestic policy and
> everything else with this consistency in mind. I fear me greatly that we of
> NFB aren't doing this wrt the blind-drivable car.
> 
> Bottom line: we need both optimists and dreamers and pessimists that say:
> "hey! Wait a minute!" in order to craft the wisest policies.
> 
> What would I do differently? Not much. But I think we're going to have to
> put *far* more effort into making software and devices than our leadership
> and most of the membership believes. We're beginning to discuss this on the
> Computer Science list and in the R&D Committee.
> 
> In summation, I think we should proceed full speed ahead. But I think we
> should have a very clear-eyed, gloss-over-nothing view of what we're
> tackling.
> 
> Mike
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Debbie Wunder
> Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 6:59 PM
> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] why is it important to join an organizationofthe
> blind?
> 
> Hi, well it seems to me if explorers before us did not believe in flight, 
> telegraph, telephone, penecillan etc... where would we be?
> 
> I am interested to hear what your thoughts are about what our goals shold 
> be?
> 
> Debbie
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Bryan Schulz" <b.schulz at sbcglobal.net>
> To: "Blind Talk Mailing List" <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 8:06 PM
> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] why is it important to join an organizationofthe 
> blind?
> 
> 
>> hi,
>> 
>> there's a difference in shooting for goals and waiting for pie in the sky 
>> technology.
>> 
>> Bryan Schulz
>> 
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: Sheila Leigland
>> To: Blind Talk Mailing List
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 7:47 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] why is it important to join an organization ofthe
> 
>> blind?
>> 
>> 
>> Hello all, I've heard about doses of reality. If I and my husband had 
>> bought in to this kind of logic, we never would have gone to college, 
>> gotten married, raised our son, and worked. If I had listened to the 
>> advice of everyone we wouldn't have taken ourselves and our son to the nfb
> 
>> convention in 1996 from Montana by train and went to disneyland without 
>> sighted assistance our son was eight at the time so although he could see 
>> we were very much in control of the situation. Dreams and goals can be 
>> crushed by to much so called reality. It doesn't mean that we don't try to
> 
>> plan out things but we aren't afraid to try.
>> 
>> sheila leigland
>> 
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> 
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